Our easy Baked Tacos recipe is perfect for dinner any night, or for feeding a crowd, with crispy ready in under 30 minutes, that you can prep ahead of time.
Crispy Tacos are the easiest way to do taco night!
Crispy Tacos are the easiest way to do taco night!All you do is line a pan with crispy taco shells, fill them with taco meat, beans and cheese and bake them! Then add whatever toppings you like. They come together fast, which is a lifesaver on busy nights, and my whole family devours them. They actually make dinner feel fun and effortless.
It's no secret, I love tacos and have so many taco recipes on my site from Tacos Al Pastor and Korean Beef Tacos to Chicken Street Tacos and Fish Tacos.
How to make Baked Tacos:
Cook Taco Meat: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces. Drain grease, then add onion and sauté until softened. Stir in the dry spices, tomato sauce, and pinto beans. Simmer on low for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Assemble: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two 9×13-inch pan (or similar size pan) with taco shells, fill each with the beef mixture, and top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, then serve with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and Easy Homemade Salsa or Mango Salsa!
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Recipe
Baked Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey (454g)
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 16 ounce can pinto beans , or black beans
- 20 hard tacos shells
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (170g)
- 1 romaine heart , thinly shredded
- 2 roma tomatoes , chopped
- salsa and sour cream , for topping, optional
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into very small pieces until browned. Remove grease. Add onion and saute for a few minutes. Stir in the dry spices.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 small onion, 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon Dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add tomato sauce and pinto beans and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.8 ounces tomato sauce, 16 ounce can pinto beans
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 9×13'' pans with the taco shells (or us a larger baking sheet to fit more).20 hard tacos shells
- Spoon taco mixture into tacos. Top with cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes.1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Top with a little bit of lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream and salsa, if desired.1 romaine heart, 2 roma tomatoes, salsa and sour cream
Notes
Macros Recipe Adaptation
1 lb. ground turkey, 16 oz. black beans, Mexican cheese.Per Serving Amount
98.3 grams meat mixture, 2 hard taco shells, ⅛ cup cheese, ¼ cup lettuce, 6 grams tomatoes.Macros
330 kcal, Fat: 15g, Carbs: 26g, Protein: 21g (serves 10) | MFP: Baked Tacos (TBFS Macros)Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe February 2016. Updated January 2021 and August 2025.
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We loved the Tacos! I didn’t know whether to drain the beans so I half drained them. The bottoms of the Tacos were soft and mushy, but DELICIOUS! Is there a way to prevent the bottoms from getting too mushy? If I don’t hear from anyone, I will fully drain the beans next time. I expect that may be as soon as next week! Really delicious! TBFS is always my first choice when hunting for a recipe! Thank you!
These are the only hard shelled tacos I would bother making. baking them is such a good idea. I did use TBFS taco seasoning rather than the separates listed here.
Mexican the tacos
Do you drain & rinse the beans?
So, the 5 replies cannot be seen. Do we drain the beans?